New guy old builder album | Page 10 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

New guy old builder album

Traction control

Traction bars to control leaf spring wrap/wheel hop & that don't overly inhibit wheel travel. Input & or examples would be appreciated, doesn't have to be on a B2/Ranger platform. Course I know linking with coil overs will work great, but I'm interested in a leaf spring solution...got a couple of ideas that employ bar articulation, but have never seen them implemented & some of my design ideas end :roll:!!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Suspension thoughts

I've been giving additional thought to rear leaf suspension improvements for the Broncobra...which will be added at the same time (basically) as the 4.56 & trac-lock with Moser axle. I'll be half-caging (behind seats to A column & firewall & wind screen protected) and building the DOM shock hoops off the cage tubes & new rear chassis crossmember, everything frame attached.

The problems with the leaf suspension systems are (short list) for a desert truck: sway bar which is necessary for control at speed, but limits suspension travel, somewhat limiting spring travel & almost non existent adjustability of compression-save swapping in different leaf packs for different terrain and pinion/spring wrap...especially when going to springs that actually flex.

Spring wrap is an important problem with high horsepower & "tork" which, thankfully, I have a little of. The lower gear ratio I'll be going to means fewer teeth engaged between ring gear and pinion & if that's not enough of a problem axle wrap sets in and changes the pinion angle by the pinion gear try ing to climb up the ring gear and twisting the bottom of the axle housing toward the front of the truck & then up (clockwise twist, opposite of the tire rotation in drive) this has the potential of taking out all manner of driveline components.

Traditional traction bars are the simple solution but really limit suspension travel and are often the first thing that hits an obstacle. I'm going to design a bar that eliminates these problems and will still flex. It will be an off road version of the Caltrac drag & street bars, but will utilize double bars, one on each side of each leaf pack, which will allow me to mount the rear bracket closer to the axle while the bars on each side of the pack exert equal pressure on the articulated bellcrank plates that rotate on the front spring pack eyelet bolt. For those that did not come from a drag car back ground and are not familiar with the Cal track design, the bellcrank plates which are triangular shaped and have a hole drilled at each angle. there is one plate on each side of the spring pack & the spring pack bolt goes through 1 of these holes and then the spring and finally the other plate, the traction bars are connected to the two plates bottom most holes with a heim joint and rod on back to another heim connected to the axle end brackets. The top holes of the bell crank plates (which holes are now positioned above the spring pack) are then connected by a heavy cross bolt.
The action of the axle twisting forward transfers this motion through the bars & to the bell crank which pivots on the spring packs forward eye bolt and presses the hardened cross bolt of the upper most part of the bellcrank down onto the top of the spring pack, which actually pushes the spring and thus the tire & wheel down ...just the opposite of a traditional trac. bar which has a tendecy to lesson (lift) the pressure on the tires. Of course the axle wrap is stopped when the bellcrank bolt increases pressure on the upper spring. When not under heavy acceleration the traction bar is basically not engaged and will not change compression or rebound of the suspension...like it's not even there, and safely tucked out of the way!

If the articulated bars work as I've described, I'll be able to run longer/softer springs re-arched that actually allow some wheel travel and coupled with a modified (longer & profiled) shackle, attached to a flipped shackle bracket, I may have my solution. Attached adjustable long travel shocks to the cage and repositioned lower shock mounts should control rebound and round it out my suspension solution.

Now all I've got to do is wait till it gets to cold to wheel the little feller and build some of this more relevant stuff!
 
Last edited:






Frenched

And with this quote, you just succinctly summed up over half a Century of Hot Rodding. No matter if it's Frenching the headlights on a 5 Window coup or setting the Nitrogen charge in his coilover.

Somewhere someplace some guy right now is asking himself...What if?
Now that's unless your worried what the RBV community says, then you might as well set on the porch.

Suicide doors, your retro shifters, which are way cool and functional, I'm thinkin' of Frenchin' the tag into the old lift gate (not as challenging as doing the headlights on a 5 window) but I'm getting tired of wiring the plate onto the tube bumper & it will house & protect the tag and the mandatory tag lights. Also protect the plate from the trailer tongue hookups (when I get round to the receiver hitch install)... I really do read and enjoy your posts.
 






Caging & hoops

Caging this thing is not going to be as bad as I thought. First it will be a half cage with integrated shock hoops. I pulled up some of my early photos of the dash & firewall demolition and reorganization and realized I had done the hard part of preparation for the forward cage already...there is literally nothing in the way of running the tubes. I designed the dash so it can be totally removed in less than 15 minutes and when the tubes are run it will be a snap to cut the dash in 4 spots for the cage to pass through. Seats will need to be slightly repositioned perhaps an inch toward the tranny tunnel.

Rear shock hoop cage will be a part of the B column roll support which will be under the existing light bars...decided I like the beefy look of the bars and they have already survived one roll over (as did the occupant) so how weak could 2 x 3" diameter tubes be, but I still want the extra protection of DOM tubes hard hooked to the frame and some gusseting.

I'm getting jazzed just thinking about the upcoming projects, takes a lot to excite old guys don't it?
 






Building stuff

Builders block, that's when you get to a point that not only do you not build you are not even sure you can do any more & if you do it will be all wrong. It's just as bad as not ever starting your project until you get your design perfected or until you can afford to do it all. Planning and saving $$ and alloting spare time to work on your truck are all important but only getting started and being persistent over the long haul will accomplish completion. It is hard to to "block" or stop momentum, but difficult to overcome inertia when you stall orstop.

Right now I'm planning big and actually building small. Taking care of small details, doing something everyday that needs to be done. Not exciting at times but necessary. I want to be able to do some wheeling this Fall so I am not willing to sacrifice the fun for the sake of getting on the bigger jobs that will definitely tie the truck up in the shop for weeks of time, but I will keep working on the small details during this Fall season...needs to be done & nows the perfect time.
 






Your posts and work are Inspiring! And re: a few posts back, you can post as many pics of latches you want-all of it is very different, well built, and a treat to read about and see. And for a complete newbie to metals etc like me, even a latch is amazing to see built from scratch. In comparison, I had to cut some 6x9 openings out of the 5x7 stock thin metal speaker brackets. I tried using my Dremel with a small cutoff wheel (what I used to trim front fenders). I didnt mind taking my time with the fenders but this was taking forever with the Dremel and precision wasnt entirely needed. Found the cheap die grinder that came with the big Home Depot Husky compressor I bought a few years back. Didnt have any wheels/discs etc that would work. Grabbed the old basic Black n Decker jigsaw. Would have worked fine but all I had were wood blades... Hours later, it was cut (with the wood blade), sanded, cleaned up, painted etc... Pretty sad. Came out fine but some metal skills would be nice! Seeing what you have built/fabricated is really incredible. Considering looking at some community college classes for some basics.
 






"Try not, do or do not."...Yoda, Star Wars

Grnmachine sounds like your catching a case of metal fab fever, the more your exposed to it the more you can and will do. CC classes can really help with some basic hands on & safety etc. or you can just build and learn. Reading how tos only helps steer you toward the shop tools required and again the safety issues. No one can place too much emphasis on safety, there are so many "thou shalt nevers" in working with metal that I won't even list one! Surviving near misses or seeing someone else get injured are the hard lessons that you don't ever forget.
All this being said working with metal is so very satifying to those who stick with it, not just the automotive part either. Making parts for the shop or home, building fences and gates, erecting buildings or having a part in creating a missle cruiser...whatever, working with metal is a great hobby or occupation. I encourage you to get involved & really work at it. Best of luck in all you do.
 






Raydot mirrors

Mounted the raydot mirrors and finished the handle and door latch.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0006.JPG
    IMAG0006.JPG
    44.3 KB · Views: 365
  • IMAG0004.JPG
    IMAG0004.JPG
    64.1 KB · Views: 370
  • IMAG0005.JPG
    IMAG0005.JPG
    78.2 KB · Views: 361
  • IMAG0003.JPG
    IMAG0003.JPG
    93.8 KB · Views: 368






yeah im a big fan of those doors. I think eliminate the leaf springs and all the probs that come with them and 4link it, for what you do it will ride better, you eliminate all the problems you were concerned about and its just flat cool, actually a radius arm might be a good option too, just riding on some kind of coil spring.
 






Hay ride

Thanks the tubes just need a little paint and I'll re-install the drivers side seat so I can take a few rides this week...wasting some beautiful weather sitting in the shop this Fall. Need to work on the tag holder, still plan on the "French" method framed into the tailgate.
Guess I'm a bit stubborn on ditching the leaf rear, but for now modifying it is my direction.
 






thats cool man i can understand that, sometimes you have things figured out for your own rig far beyond what you post online. im sure you have leaf spring ideas beyond what youve posted here
 






Differentials of opinions

Great book that is a very helpful tool for differential selection/rebuild etc. is Jim Allen & Randy Lyman's "DIFFERENTIALS: Identification, restoration & repairs." Gold mine of knowlege from basics to highly advanced info & offers some authoritative information to base our opinions & selections on...or just ponder. About 27 bucks from Randy's ring and pinion up in Everett, Wa. lol
 






Few finish shots: Raydot mirrors are really small! Oh yeah got a seat bolted in so going on a run tonight...kinda want to respect the hunters and not do any early morning runs during deer season,lol.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0001.JPG
    IMAG0001.JPG
    64 KB · Views: 359
  • IMAG0002.JPG
    IMAG0002.JPG
    68.9 KB · Views: 343
  • IMAG0003.JPG
    IMAG0003.JPG
    39.8 KB · Views: 338
  • IMAG0004.JPG
    IMAG0004.JPG
    56.3 KB · Views: 347
Last edited:






WOW! Talk about giving your truck character. That is the Holy Grail of tubed doors.
What else have you got up your sleeve :popcorn:
Good point on not pissing off a bunch of Deer hunters first thing in the morning.
They could be worse then disgruntled Postal Workers, especially if someone had a big ole 10 pt in his crosshairs and then you...well you get the picture.

Reminds me of time when a friend and I went on an evening Dove hunt and he parked out in the middle of the cut corn field. I kinda told him that this is not a good idea, could flair the birds coming in and the other hunters would not take kindly to this.
But he left it there anyway, only to come back to find that some hunter must have mistaken his Toyota truck for a Dove ha ha. About 350 pellets imprinted in his door.
 






Dove stories

Thanks for the props Rookie, door deal just went on and on, so much so that I am tired of looking at them and hope I didn't pi** too many off about my sport cutouts and tube door fixation.
I try not to aggravate folks who are well armed and ticked off and around here & all the way south to Patagonia, Argentina you can bet that most are and know how to use them.
I think you and I have similar friends, photos taken behind barns and sheds would look about the same as your recent posts on diffs. Also that dove story is too funny and yet has a familiar ring to it...hmm :rolleyes:
Yes I did get out for about 45 minutes last evening and tried to shake something loose...which I was successful at, still haven't found that dang license plate! So some kind of tag holder with lights, probably not Frenched, still got sheet metal work to do on the wind screen cowl to deflect the rocks and maybe look cool too, need to mount a receiver hitch front and rear. Small things and then get back to the suspension and drive train/ cage and shock hoops. Haven't even touched the 8.8", but do have the 4.56 pinion/ring set on the shelf...lots of stuff but kinda like you on the rear ends, trying to think things through so I don't have to do it two or three times!!
 
Last edited:






Windscreen deflector

I've toyed with the idea of a fold down wind screen on the B2 for a couple of years...saw one on a B2 in Arizona some years back and it was nicely done on the first B2 roadster I had ever seen...latter saw it in a magazine & it peaked my interest. It utilized a Jeep frame, but fabbing a custom frame wouldn't be that difficult...looked sick!
Over the last couple weeks I have collected several rocks all of which struck the bottom 5 or so inches of the glass. Yep cracked it every mother's son! x**Z Well I got to thinking about my early Bronco & various Jeeps that have passed through both my own and my sons hands and that flat wind screen collects cracks even worse than the original Suburban Chevy. Fold downs are cool but the flat screen sucks!
The B2 wind shield design has enough angle and contour to deflect most rocks without chipping or cracking with the exception of those occasional low sinker trajectories...beleive I'll keep the B2 screen and just fab an angled metal shield that will cover the vented windshield cowl and the stock wipers (which I really don't like the looks of anyway) and give those sinking rocks an additional glancing angle upward.

Angle of 30 to 35 degrees looks as if it will work, cover full width of the cowl & still clear the wipers. Hood will clear scoop when lifted, make it a bolt on in order to access wiper arm removal and windshield removal (bit of a negative outlook don't you think?)

Can't always be the lead dog in the desert as slow traffic begs to be passed and then theres always somebody crazier than me that over takes & sprays rock and gravel. So I got my tape out and measured and then cut a preliminary cardboard template, painted it black and took a look, shouldn't be that difficult has the possibility of looking ok also.

A few weeks ago I cut a cardboard template (post 119) to help me conceptionalize a steel deflector plate for the windscreen & then allowed myself to get side tracked on other stuff, well I've slept on it for awhile & think I've come up with a decent design that is not too lame or boring & will actually protect from most thrown gravel.

Also I noted on my last outing that the hinge side of the suicide tubes is an excellent place to grab hold of when mounting and dismounting the vehicle, which is good, but grabbing the windshield A column or steering wheel is awkward and not as secure feeling with the offhand. I feel a grab handle mounted to the door frames is in order for safeties sake.

It's also time to fab a receiver hitch front and rear. Should keep me busy for a few part time days.
 






Toss a coin?

Really having a hard time deciding which design to use on the cowl...kinda like the perforated look, not sure what diameter holes or how many in what pattern. Want it to be extremely durable and easy to remove for service. Blending the lines to accentuate both the rake of the hood and wind screen are also alluding me to this point. Just details but slowing down progress.
 






WoW missed the painted & installed pics of doors, mirrors. Fantastic!! Looks great with the cut out flares too. Can not visualize what cowl design you are talking about but I am confident it will be awesome too.
 






Bad post

Grnmachine thanks for the props, but I'm really sorry for that last post about the cowl design. I should have waited until I had a photo of the the area to be changed and template or sheet metal cut to size & basic shape to give the reader a clue as to what the heck the old guys muttering about. I'll get on it and try to do a better job of littering the forum with my junk.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Local rides

Not Bronco2's but they are Broncobra's friends from the area just gathering over the weekend to hang out and talk about our wheels....good times!

Super clean F-1 my all time favorite (post 1936) Ford pickup
picture.php


Cherry Bowtie
picture.php


Sweet T roadster
picture.php
 






Back
Top